What is Floating?
The scientific name for floating (aka sensory deprivation and float therapy) is called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy - or REST for short.
Considering this name in the simplest way, it basically means that stimulus, distractions and triggers from our environment are significantly reduced for therapeutic and reset purposes. This is done by reducing exposure to light, sounds, body temperature differences, physical compensations for gravity, touch sensations, electronic notifications and so on over a short period of time.
This state of sensory deprivation plus the sensation of FLOATING is achieved by the design of an isolation tank (aka float tank, flloat cabin or float pod) filled with very salty water.
Basic sensory information from the environment - specifically light, sound, touch, and the forces of gravity, are controlled and managed by the isolation tank design. The gray diagram or the photo of our actual float cabin below show what they look like.
This is a rendering of our float cabin (aka isolation tank, float tank or float pod)
What is Floating?
The scientific name for floating (aka sensory deprivation and float therapy) is called Restricted Environmental Stimulation Therapy - or REST for short.
Considering this name in the simplest way, it basically means that stimulus, distractions and triggers from our environment are significantly reduced for therapeutic and reset purposes. This is done by reducing exposure to light, sounds, body temperature differences, physical compensations for gravity, touch sensations, electronic notifications and so on over a short period of time.
This state of sensory deprivation plus the sensation of FLOATING is achieved by the design of an isolation tank (aka float tank, flloat cabin or float pod) filled with very salty water.
Basic sensory information from the environment - specifically light, sound, touch, and the forces of gravity, are controlled and managed by the isolation tank design. The gray diagram or the photo of our actual float cabin below show what they look like.
This is a rendering of our float cabin (aka isolation tank, float tank or float pod)
What am I doing in there?
You are essentially doing NOTHING when you're floating. Imagine being perfectly suspended in space - feeling like the pressures of gravity simply do not exist. This trick is accomplished by water less than a foot deep so perfectly salty that it eliminates any need to hold your head above water or keep your body supported in any way. You can just let go of any holding patterns, tensions and pains. No matter how big or small you are, you are going to float effortlessly as nearly 40% of the water volume is dissolved Epsom salts (equal to 2,160 cups of salt).
Your first float experience includes a complimentary orientation that will cover all the information you will need to know. Everything you need for the float will be provided by us, so you do not need to bring anything (not even a bathing suit). The reason why more & more people are doing nothing during a float is answered by scrolling to the bottom of this page.
What can I expect to happen to me?
The funny thing is that we actually encourage you to try and expect NOTHING when you're floating.
This is a completely new experience to you, and requires a certain level of surrender and letting go of expectations. I can promise you that it is impossible to control the benefits, outcome or sensational experiences of a float. This applies to your first float, the 504th, and every other one you do the rest of your life.
Just like any new activity, there is a learning curve to floating. If you are new to floating, please note that it takes everyone at least 3 to 5 floats to get used to the experience, acclimatized to this new environment, and comfortable with the basics. Our orientation will help you navigate these early experiences and coach you along the right path.
This seems kinda weird ...
Floating is certainly a unique experience, and it can feel weird or odd in the beginning. And that's okay, it takes some getting-used-to. You have never experienced this lack of sight, sound, touch and gravity compensation all at the same time before.
Setting the lights ON or OFF is completely your choice and does not make your experience any better or worse by doing so. Keeping the door open is always an option for anyone struggling with claustrophobia. We purchased larger float cabins specifically for this reason (the owner is personally claustrophobic). They're huge and are the only ones made in Canada.
Our orientation will cover important information to ensure you feel confident in controlling and complimenting your experience, such as setting the lights, how to enter and exit the cabin safely, and minimizing distractions. Please let us know of any concerns you may have to so we can better honour your experience.
Do I need to research anything or prepare in some way?
Please don't. The less you know, the better.
All you really need to know from a high level perspective is that floating is growing in popularity as a highly effective self-care practice that can improve your overall well-being quickly and significantly, whether that is physically, emotionally, mentally, energetically, spiritually and so on.
We recommend avoid doing any further research in regards to floating. You will discover countless amazing ways floating has benefited people, but knowing them will not improve your own experience. To be quite honest, it will plant a seed of expectation and you will likely get in your own way - if you know what I mean. It is best to go into your float experience as blind as possible without expectation.
BUT if you need to know some benefits, scroll down.
How long is the float?
Floats are scheduled to be 75 minutes but for planning purposes, budget just shy of two hours for the whole experience. If you feel like you're done the float at any point during this time, you can simply get our early. Otherwise we will bring your out of the float with some gentle music at the end.
Regular floaters are typically used to 60 or 90 minute floats, however most find these times too short (60) or too long (90). So we chose to go right in the middle and I promise it is a perfect amount of time.
How much does it cost?
Like most new activities, there is a learning curve to floating; it takes every person at least 3 to 5 floats to get used to, "good" and confident with this new experience.
Check out our Pricing page for more details by clicking here.
What are the benefits of floating?
As was mentioned earlier, I would highly encourage you to not research floating (just a tiny bit if you do) or read too much into the details below. Knowing the benefits of floating will not improve your experience since you cannot control it. Your experience will always be unique to you.
If you must know how floating might benefit yourself, cure something, or at least improve overall wellbeing or an area of concern, many people have claimed that floating has helped in these general areas below.
Click any heading below to expand the details.
Anxiety is basically our body’s natural response to stress. An accumulation effect that takes place (aka anxiety) when the energy of stressful situations starts to store in the body and mind instead of releasing. Depending on the severity of the stress and how long it is being held for, anxiety can manifest into chronic physical, mental, emotional and energetic distractions. Very basically, floating offers a space to shed and release this pent-up anxiety and reset the entire system.
The experience of pain - whether temporary or chronically - can be a significant distraction and disruption to our daily lives. Many people who suffer chronic pain notice a moment of release from the pain as they suspend in a gravity-free environment like floating. When our body is perfectly supported without any need to help hold itself up (like in the perfect buoyancy of float therapy), the pains within the body are given a beautiful moment to just let go, relax and reset. The body knows how to intiutively heal itself so long as we give it an opportunity. When the body no longer has to try and hold itself upright or move around, there is a moment where the body’s intuition can start to do its magic of healing itself.
It is easy for us to be triggered and distracted by our environment or our internal chatter and noise. Floating reduces the external distractions significantly, so that we can be more present to our internal experience. Every time we become aware or “catch” our attention steering off unproductively (ie. past and future problems, mistakes, worries, doubts, and so on), it’s like we are doing a single repetition that strengthens our ability to be more present. We can repeatedly catch ourselves much more effectively in a float and steer our attention back to the present, which will in time translate more and more to our experience outside of the float cabin.
Extreme physical demands and movements is common to any athlete resulting in natural wear and tear of the body. An athlete looking to maximize performance must prioritize the recovery of the body between these physical demands. Similar to injury recovery, the body is given space to heal and recover much more effectively by floating.
Chronic fatigue and exhaustion as a result of sleeping poorly has been experienced by everyone at some point. This could be a result of a busy life, a newborn baby, jet-lag and so on. Deep rest and relaxation is needed but difficult to find. Many people report that their sleeping patterns improved following a float and they feel more restful.
Rest is always part of the recipe on the journey to recovery after an injury. The body will naturally swell to limit our mobility to force such restful states, however the forces of gravity on our body commonly distract these restful states. Floating is the deepest form of rest our bodies can experience as there is no requirement to support the body in any capacity. Our bodies know how to heal itself intuitively, and while in complete suspension and not needing to participate in holding itself up, this self-healing ability inherent in all of us can effectively address the injured area.
Minimizing the disruptive noise and distractions of our environment cultivates a space where our imagination can reveal itself much more effectively. There are no limits where such creativity can be pointed, such as art, music, writing, business, relationships, personal growth, etc.
The randomness and severity of the symptoms can be very disruptive to the daily lives of someone diagnosed with fibromyalgia. Such symptoms are often triggered and made worse by external environmental stimuli. Based on the first hand account of people that float with us, floating has helped improve their quality of life and managing the disruption of these symptoms.
Plenty of moments in our lives trigger an outpouring of emotions - both positive and negative. Such emotions are experienced and ideally quickly released, however sometimes we end up storing such emotions if they are not processed properly. Overtime these emotions can lead to unhealthy consequences and problems with our overall wellbeing. There is a quality of space during a float (or meditation) that affords a moment to let go, or release, these pent-up emotions.
A common concussion symptom is heightened sensitivity to external stimuli - primarily sights and sounds. Resting and limiting exposure to these distractions is a mandatory prescription. Floating is the most potent way people with concussions symptoms can experience a state of limited exposure to external distractions. In this space of sensory deprivation, the brain will be gifted space to rest, reset and heal.
The loss of a loved one or anyone close to hearts will always be difficult. Our headspace can become quite distracted and overwhelmed by the emotions and struggle of managing this experience of loss and grief. Giving ourselves a moment and a space to process the loss without distraction is a difficult thing to do, yet a necessary part of moving forward in a healthy way. Floating can offer a beautiful space for processing and integration.
Increasing the knowledge and perception (aka awareness) of our direct experience within our life - whether physical, social, behaviours, reactions, emotions and so on - will offer us more opportunity to make choices that honour ourselves. Being more aware of you who you are, your surroundings and others will make you better prepared for whatever life may throw your way.
This is a finer example to the introspection benefit of floating.
Various experiences from our childhood have literally shaped (aka programmed) the way we engage, interact and respond to life. Many default programs run automatically without hesitation in various life situations that do more harm to us than good. Unfortunately, we can become blind to healthier alternative responses as we have always done it ‘this’ way (meaning the pattern of your programming). Becoming aware and witnessing the errors of outdated and unhealthy programs is the first step towards rewriting new and healthier programs. Floating, as a deep form of meditation, is an effective way to achieve such moments of clarity.
On the fringe of the creativity benefit of floating, instant realizations and clarity of situations and circumstances surrounding any part of your life can be discovered during a float. It could be a personal dilemma, relationship issues, business decisions, career choice, or really any other aspect of your life requiring an important decision. Such moments of perspective and clarity could be confirming what you are currently doing or highlighting a need for a sharp change of direction. Regardless though, these moments of clarity always seem to be right on point while our usual defences are down and we are much more receptive.
Life has become increasingly busy and distracted, making it more and more difficult to find some quality time and space to check in with your self. Being in a space designed to minimize distractions, floating offers an opportunity to experience a potent moment with you and you alone. Improving the connection with your self will express itself in so many positive way within your life.
There are consequences to our wellbeing when our blood cannot move freely and easily throughout the body. The buoyancy of the water when you float create a gravity-free feeling that requires zero physical effort from your body to help hold itself up in any capacity. The tension within the body when muscles, ligaments and bones get a moment to relax. Reducing the tension within the body when muscles, ligaments and bones work together to support itself results in blood vessels dilating. Blood circulation improves as blood can more freely move around the body.
A characteristic of depression is the complete absence of feeling anything whatsoever. When we remove ourselves from external sensory information and distractions plus get subtle enough, we can start to reconnect and feel the sensations within ourselves. Floating is an effective way to experience such reconnection.
A lack of confidence and connection to one’s self is a difficult place to be and overtime, can become harmful to your health. Floatingn will help you reconnect with your Self and understand who you are so you can move forward securely.
Getting subtle and removing external distractions (like when you float) affords us space to venture further into our explorations of who we are and our place in this universe and experience of life much more intimately.
There is usually a specific moment or experiences in our past that contribute to unhealthy addictions manifesting today. Such addictions can vary quite a bit - sugar, alcohol, drugs, entertainment, food, pornography, shopping, etc. The introspective nature of a float creates a space to uncover the source of where and why these addictions are expressing themselves today. Such knowledge is very empowering in steering ourselves back to a healthier expression.
Finding a quiet and peaceful place to be with ourselves can be a difficult task in this world full of distraction. A main reason people seek such silence and solitude is for the introspective benefits, which is the examination or observation of one’s own mental and emotional processes. A better understanding and awareness of such processes will be very beneficial. Floating is a powerful way to experience deeper spaces of introspection.